Šmicer suddenly ends playing career

Veteran soccer midfielder Vladimír Šmicer once again proved he can stun people. Šmicer, who is nicknamed "Little Luck," shocked everybody Nov. 9 by calling an end to his impressive career after an ordinary Gambrinus liga game.

Šmicer, 36, said after Slavia's 0-0 draw in Plzeň that the game was his swan song in professional soccer.

"There's no point in continuing. ? I'm afraid there's no longer anything I can contribute to the team," Šmicer said. "I've decided to not struggle anymore."

Šmicer has struggled with a knee injury for the past two seasons. So far this season, he made irregular appearance on the pitch. The game at Plzeň was the first time Šmicer made the starting lineup this year. He played for only one half before head coach Karel Jarolím pulled him from the game.

"It was an immediate decision. Not even my family, who were in the stands, knew I had quit," Šmicer said.

He said he did not want to be merely "lucky" to the team.

Although Šmicer has never reached the heights of the country's biggest soccer legends like Pavel Nedvěd and past stars Josef Masopust and Pepi Bican, he is arguably the most decorated Czech player in terms of team victories.

He won national league titles in the Czech Republic, France and England. Furthermore, Šmicer won the Champions League with Liverpool and also advanced with the Czech national team to Euro '96 finals and then to the Euro 2004 semifinals.

"My achievements were greater than my skills," Šmicer says, adding he most values the triumph with Liverpool in the Champions League.

Šmicer was nicknamed "Little Luck" because victories often followed for any team he joined. In 1996, he scored perhaps the most important goal for the national team, booting in an equalizer in the last minutes of a game against Russia. Thanks to the goal, the Czechs advanced to the playoff round and eventually to the final. Before the final, Šmicer briefly flew from London back to Prague to marry his fiancée, Pavlína. Their wedding, staged at Old Town Hall on Old Town Square, was followed by thousands of people.

After 10 years abroad, Šmicer rejoined Slavia in 2006, and the traditional Prague team qualified for the first time ever to the Champions League and also won two consecutive Czech league titles.

Šmicer admitted the unexpected end of his career was prompted by an offer to become sports manager of the newly built national team. Šmicer said he agreed to the offer and left with the national team to a warm-up tournament in the United Arab Emirates Nov. 13.

"I also had an offer to continue in a managerial position at Slavia," Šmicer said. "But I'd find it difficult to come to the stadium every day, and I'd be tempted to get back on the pitch."

Davis Cup preparations begin

The Czech tennis community is gearing up for the Davis Cup final, which takes place in Barcelona Dec. 4-6. The match between the national teams from Spain and the Czech Republic will be the first Czech appearance in the cup final since 1980, and thousands of fans are planning to travel to Spain to witness the event. The Czech team is holding an unusual competition on its Facebook site, inviting fans to submit jokes. Those who submit the best jokes will receive free tickets to the finals.

Meanwhile, the Czech Tennis Associations' offer of free tickets to the 1980 Czechoslovak team members is raising turmoil among past stars. Only Ivan Lendl said he would accept the invitation. Meanwhile, Tomáš Šmíd, Pavel Složil and Jan Kodeš complained the invitation included only free tickets without transportation and accommodation and refused to travel to Spain.

František Bouc can be reached at
fbouc@praguepost.com